Knitty SP4 gifts

Today the mailman delivered this:



A package from my Knitty SP4!
She handwrapped every gifts, my children had a blast opening everything.

But fist of all, the yarn:



Colinette and Patricia Roberts - I am speechless. There are no word to describe them, so let's have a couple of more shots:





While I was busy petting the yarn and reading the card - that really cracked me up! - my children took care of all the little packages, so how you can see, by the time I got to them, the chocolate was gone:



But they assured me it was really good and asked me to thank my friend.

The Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream smells so good, and I never have enough hand cream. This one is going in my knitting bag together with the lip balm - how did you know I can't live without lip balm and I go nuts if I don't have some with me?

The Marks & Spencer Sherbet Lemons and the Whittard of Chelsea Raspberry and Peach tea made me feel so British! I need to hide the candies from Principessa otherwise they'll be soon gone too like the chocolate.

And the post-it holder is the cutest little thing.

Thank you so much, my dearest SP!

I am going back to pet the yarn now ......

Finally some photos

I had some time to take some photos this morning, so here is an update on projects.

The pink cardi for Principessa:



The border is Squiggle by Crystal Palace and the body is Toccata by Lana Grossa. I really like Toccata - it is 100% cotton but it is so soft that I should have swear there was some microfiber in it.

Last night I finished the back of Nothin' But a T-shirt and I kitchener stitched the front with the back - now the sleeves and I am done!



The color is completely different in real life - way more brown - but today is cloudy with a very weird lighting so this is the best I can do.

This is Dulaan hat #5:



I don't have enough of this yarn for the whole hat, so it will be two toned.

Last but not least, this is the basket that HoJo helped me put together for the LLEF Hoedown:



It is going to be so difficult for me to let go of all that Cascade 220 - my husband has firm orders not to let me bid on my own item!

Never mind

Never mind, it's just not me. What, would you ask? Spinning, and any kind of crafty activities. I don't know what got into me when I watched the Knitty Gritty episode about spinning and thought I could do it. And for what reason, then? My motto has always been "why do it if I can pay someone else to do it for me?". Really, I am not crafty, I suck at everything that involve manual labor. And why should I want to make yarn when I can just go here or here and whip out my credit card. Whatever I do, it will never be as good as this.
I think I'll stick to knitting and dying wool with Kool-aid from now on - my husband is worried enough and Principessa is scaring him with tales of sheep in the backyard.
But I'll finish spinning the roving I bought - I bought the set, I am stubborn, I'll do it and I'll have the most uneven spun yarn that ever walked on earth. Why not? One of a kind.

And speaking of knitting, I have been knitting even if I have not being finishing anything since Sunday - with 7 projects going it's difficult to focus on just one and get it done, even if 37 are waiting. Never said I am sane.

But I hope I'll finish Nothin' But A T-shit by this weekend: I am at the armholes shaping of the front, even if I need to frog and re-knit the shoulder shaping of the back. I have decided I want live stitches so that I can kitchener stitch the front with the back.

Another project I really want to finish is the Wavy Boxes Baby Blanket I am making for Children's Village. I am really bored with the blanket (need to choose a more challenging pattern next time), I do not like working with acrylic yarn and I have a box of supplies I am waiting to send as soon as the blank is done and I can add it to the box.


Last item, go read Cara's account of the Harlot takes Manhattan - why? I quote:

"We had a knitting demonstration by her (WOW - who knew you could knit with a needle stuck under your armpit! And how fast!)"

The Harlot knits like me!

Change of strategy

Knit Happens online is open and I could not resit - I drooled for 24 hours over the wonderful yarn, then I gave up and I ordered some Lorna's Laces. So, goodbye yarn diet. Change of strategy, I am going to count the number of days I manage to stay without buying yarn and I see if I can manage 30 days stretches. And I put all the photos of my stash together so that I can be reminded of how much yarn I have. Not that I have photo of all my stash .....

SP4 revealed

My wonderful SP4 is Stacey from Sheep in the City, and while she did not blew it leaving a comment on my blog (what can I say? I am slooooow), I did start to suspect it after the second package. Sheep everywhere? It had to be her!

She wrote that she thought I knew because her blog was in my blogroll - nope, I just love to read it. And actually, when I started to suspect, I made it private so she could not see it and think that I knew - how deceiving of me, even if too late.

SP4, who are you?

Dear SP4,
who are you? Aren't you supposed to reveal yourself now?
You sent me Shinano:



and Gemstones



and Koigu:



so after three wonderful packages, the only thing left is your identity!

It's done

Since I couldn't decided if I wanted to start the pink cardi or the layette, and that means that I really wanted to cast for both of them, I told myself that I did not have to decide if I finished just one more thing, so here it is:



Yarn: Fizz by Crystal Palace Yarn and Scarabeo by Gerifil Yarns.

Another project off the needles.

With her last package, my Knitty SP sent me two photos of her blanket she made for PRR:





She wrote that I inspired her to knit for charity - isn't the nicest thing someone can say and do? And I am slightly embarrassed by her generosity because I have been slacking in my charity knitting lately. I think that the problem is that I choose easy projects and then I get bored with them. But tonight, no excuse, I am making a square!

Daddy can't knit!

And he is the only one who can't. That is the household mantra since yesterday, when Paperino decided that I wanted to learn how to knit. So I gave him a pair a tiny needles US 6 - no idea where they came from - he picked out some while yarn from my squeaky box and merrily announced that Baby Beluga needs a blanket.

So I casted 30 stitches and we started. He has knitted two rows so far and his knitting bag never leaves his side. This morning, when I suggested that he could leave it home pointing out that he can't knit at school, he looked at me in the eyes and asked: "Can you knit at work?" and then his glare shifted at my knitting bag that never leaves my side and comes to the office with me, even if I never have time to knit at work.

Well, what could I say? The knitting bag went to school and was tucked away in his cubby.

On more knitting news, Principessa is mastering double pointed needles to finished the hat she is knitting.

And daddy still can't knit.

Where am I from again?

I do get these jokes, isn't it scary?

You Know You're From Silicon Valley When...

Your combined household income is $140,000 and you can't afford shoes for the kids You think anything slower than DSL is barbaric, but can't get it in your neighborhood You know what DSL stands for You and your spouse almost come to blows deciding to hit Peet's or Starbucks You think that American food includes sushi, naan, pho, pesto and pad thai You met your neighbors once When asked about your commute you answer in time, not distance Even though you work 80 hours per week on a computer, for relaxation you read your email and peruse eBay You have worked at the same job for a year and people call you an 'old-timer' The T-shirts you value most were for products that never made it to market You can name four different programming languages and you are not a programmer You remember the names of the three closest cheap sushi joints, the location of all the Fry's in the area and which companies your friends work for that are going public in the next year, but don't know the name of the mayor Standing in line at Starbucks you wonder why the employees don't call a head hunter You work 6 miles from your home and spend two hours a day commuting and $40 a week on gas Winter is when your lawn grows too fast and summer is when it dies The median price of a house is $500,000...for 1200 sq. ft. with no yard because it's a town house You live on some of the richest farm land in the world but most of what you eat comes from South America on a boat Your best friend lives across town but you hardly ever see each other because after your commute you're too pooped to spend another hour driving to their home You have a master's degree in engineering but half the people in your department either didn't go to college or have history degrees, except if you have a master's from Stanford, in which case everyone in your department has a master's degree from Stanford You cringe when you see people in suits at your office, wondering if someone in management will make you stop wearing bunny slippers You plan your vacation so that you don't have to drive back from the airport in commute hours You don't go to sporting events unless you are given tickets by your employer You could sell your home and live like a king in 99% of the rest of the world, but don't because it would be difficult to move back. You have at least three computers at home. You own at least one domain on the Internet, probably several. You think it's normal to see chip-design software or relational databases advertised on freeway billboards. You know that California isn't just one big beach. You know that not everyone in California surfs. You know there's lots of skiing in California. You know your rotating outage block number at home and at work, and listen for them whenever there are rolling blackouts. If someone refers to "SunnytogaDeAnzavale Road", you laugh and know what they're talking about. You take your out-of-town friends to see the techie gadgets at Fry's. But you don't let them buy anything. You know how to recognize re-sealed returned electronics at Fry's. You don't ask the staff any questions at Fry's. You know they hire idiots and pass the savings on to you. You watch dot-com boomers go back to the states they came from, and the traffic gets better by the month. But you are home so you're not moving. You own a Sport Utility Vehicle and have never taken it off-road. You wouldn't know what to do if you tried. Same with all your friends. You don't know how to drive in snow. You're a road hazard when you visit the mountains. You think the horn and middle finger are essential driving tools. You think bicycles don't belong on the road. You think any car ahead of you doesn't belong on the road. Your out-of-state friends are impressed at how much money you make... until you tell them how much you pay for housing. You know that a "fixer-upper" home could cost a half-million dollars. You do a "California stop" at stop signs. And you think it's only Californians who call them that. You aren't bothered much by earthquakes because you're ready for them. But the thought of tornadoes and hurricanes terrifies you. You clearly remember where you were when the Loma Prieta quake hit. You know several funny stories about swimming pools in the quake. You can't recognize a thunderstorm without seeing lightning first. You cringe when a Southern Californian refers to highways like "the 101". It's just "101". No "the". You call low clouds "fog" even if they're hundreds of feet off the ground. At least once you have gone to San Francisco for the day wearing shorts and a t-shirt because it was a warm clear day in San Jose. And you froze your little *@#!% off in the fog, drizzle and wind. You say you're from Silicon Valley because no one knows where San Jose is. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Silicon Valley.

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Principessa's socks

and she is happy with them - and that is very important!

The socks are not alike, for some reason one is more pink, the other is more green, and the stripes do not match at all. Well, we all know that yarn will do whatever it wants to and laugh at us mortals. The other phenomenon that people who believe in gauge will find weird is that the socks are identical, in shape and rows and stitches, but I have leftover yarn for the second while I don't for the first one.

So, now that one project is off the needles, I can start something new, the most likely candidates are the pink cardi for Principessa and the Made with Love Layette for a colleague who is having a baby girl. I am going to use some Emu I got at a ridicule low price from Knitwerx.

Oh, and this is what you see in our kitchen these days:



Need more Kool-aid.

Now it is really done

Meaning that I sewed it up:



Specs:
Pattern by Jenna Wilson on SnB
Yarn: Endless Summer Collection Sonata - color Capri Blue


Even I haven't post of photo of it in a long time, I am still working, every once in a while, on my Orange Scarf:



I just love this combination of yarn, the little specs of gold in the orange texture:



And before I forgot, early today I sent the flickr Pro account to the two winners of my contest: Susan and Aileen. Thanks to everybody for participating!

Another one?

I never said I was sane. I joined another knit-along, Jenifer made me do it. After Phoebe, now it is Triada.
On my defense, I am going to say I'll knit it from stash (Noro Kureyon), so my yarn diet is safe.

Speaking of which, since I started my yarn is growing faster than ever. Weird phenomenon, considering that I bought only one ball and I am at day 24 again. One explanation is the generosity of my secret pals, another is the fact that I am still receiving yarn that I ordered before I started my diet. But the fact is that the yarn does not fit in the cherry chest anymore, but hanks are artistically arranged in the living room, or laying around in baskets.

Need to knit faster.

I am back

I was so glad to home last night that I finished Branching Out:



I always come back from business trips exhausted - combination of not sleeping too well in strange places and packing as much as possible in one day and half. So we did not go to Three Bags Full, we actually worked until 6:30, but we did go to Edwardo as HoJo suggested. As Italian, I wouldn't call what I ate pizza, but it was delicious! And my boss can purl too now - lesson number two on the flight back.

But even if I did not go to a LYS in Chicago, plenty was waiting for me at home.

My Debbie Bliss Club kit arrived:



I have no intention of making the beret and cravat, but I do have plans for the yarn that is so yummy!

But the real welcome home was my Knitty SP package, also known as Marymac on the knitty board:



and this is only half of it, there is more:



and more:



yes, she made me a scarf with Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb - I cannot stop petting it!

I love everything in it - and I have already used the notes to make list of "things to do", and of course they are "things to knit"!

Oh, before I forgot, I made Brancing Out with the Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool Marymac sent me in her first package. And I already have plans for Lou Lou: I am going to make another of Susan's scarves!

Contest from Chicago

Chicago has nothing to do with it, it's just that I am here on a business trip - and yes, even if it is a all-business-no-fun trip I am going to Three Full Bags tomorrow because I taught my boss how to knit flying here. What will I do for a trip to a yarn store.

But the contest. I have a Flickr pro account and I also have 2 FREE Pro Accounts to give away!

So, if you would like to have one, post a comment here and I'll do a random drawing this weekend - probably Saturday morning.

Make sure to leave your email address - I'll need it to give you the account, so I won't include people who do not leave it in the random drawing.

Good luck!

Summer knit-along

Yes, I did join another knit along, button on the left. And speaking of summer knits, the new KnitPicks (the link is usually in the Google adds) cottons are out. Time to reset the yarn diet counter? I am being strong, I need to finish my Nothin' But a T-Shirt, then I have the Jaeger Trinity for the A-Line Jacket and probably a shell too (I love twin sets), and I am about to start a cotton cardi for Principessa. Still, so tempting ......

Knitting news, my fourth Dulaan hat:



And this is principality's color in a ball:



It's going to be a scarf.

Knitting club

Today I went to Principessa's school knitting club. She has been asking me to come for a while, but even if I had blocked the time off my calendar, someone always managed to schedule a "very important" meeting Thursday at lunch - picture myself rolling my eyes at the concept that something can be more important than knitting.

None of the girls wanted my help, after all it was my first time there: would I let a stranger touch my knitting? I don't think so. I notice one thing: all the girls were knitting scarves with short and thick needles, but Principessa is knitting a hat with Addis Turbos. Well, what can I say? I raised her well.

This is Paperino's colorway all winded up - isn't it cute?



It is going to be a baby hat. I bought The Knitter' Handy Book of Patterns and I love it - basic pattern in every gauge, even fingering.

But I kept the best for last - look at all the goodies my KR SP sent me:



I really love the needles - they are looooong, like I like them, and in beautiful colors.
THANK YOU, SECRET PAL OF MINE!

Dreaming of SP4

I had terrible dream last night, I dreamt of yarn unraveling and tangling in a big mess, but the worst of it was that some Koigu was being tangles with cheap acrylic yarn. Wait a minute, I do not have any Koigu in my stash. Until today. Look what my wonderful SP4 sent me:



I could not believe my eyes when I saw it. She wrote that the Koigu was calling my name, I believe it was shouting last night and got into my dream. She was so nice to include a pattern for a project I can make with it.
And look at the other goodies she sent me - a book (yes, I love Pride and Prejudice and I did not have it) , cuticle bar (already in my knitting bag), a very cool clip and the nicest card.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SECRET PAL!

But, who are you?

On my knitting news, I finished the iPod sock:



and my friend liked it a lot!

Go get one!

A Natasket Basket, that's what. I already bought the pattern, and I think I can knit it from stash, I just love that!

On ongoing knitting project, I mediated on page 14 of Stephanie's book and I have reached the conclusion that I need to frog Nothin' But a T-shirt. I need to face the fact that it is too big and too long. So here it is, I am doing it:



But I started a new project:



An iPod cover is the only thing I can whip up in one evening and it's for a friend whose birthday is tomorrow and she is staying at our place (cannot mail it a week from and blame slow Italian postal service like I usually do).

For whoever googled "eleanor of Acquitaine" and got here - sorry!

Wool cuisine

It all began with this:



leftover white wool (3 ounces), vinegar and Kool-aid. After winding the yarn in two hanks



all I had to do is add two kids and I got:



Paperino's colorway, about 125 yards and



Principessa's colorway, about 250 yards.

Debbie Bliss Club

A while ago I subscribed to the Debbie Bliss club and last week I received my user name and password for the online pattern and stuff. So I want to make this:



Very simple but I like it and the Jaeger Trinity Indigo I am shuffling from one project to the other is just perfect for it. Like I needed another project in the queue. The other free pattern for members is the Baby shawl from Special Knits that I may want to make for a coworker who is having a baby.

Oh, and I saw this here - isn't it gorgeous?

How do I take a photo of myself?

Maybe like this?



This is so NOT going on ChickKnits' gallery!

I said I was going to do it

And here it is, Susan's Branching Out in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool:



and I am following advice and reading the chart instead of the written instructions - it does make it easier because you can see where the stitches stack on each other.

So, what is going to happen to Misty Garden? Don't know yet. I'll need just one ball of Silky Wool for Branching Out, so that leaves one ball for Misty Garden, that I think it is too little. So I may frog what I have done of Misty so far and re-do it with another yarn. And what am I going to do with one more ball of Silky Wool? No idea.

I finished one of Paperino's striped socks:



The decision of how tall the cuff was going to be was hard to make. Paperino put the sock on with needles and all, then walked around the house with the ball of yarn in his hand, and after 10 minutes of deliberation came back with a verdict: "It's ok". Socks are important matters, the wrong one can ruin your reputation at school forever.

I finally took a photo of the yarn I received free of charge from Handpainted Yarn because they lost my last order:



isn't it gorgeous? The one on the left is bulky weight, the other lace.
And a decision was made about Tie One On - I am going to use Noro Kureyon from stash.

Look, Knitty is feeling springy!

Yes, the new Knitty is out! Of course I dropped everything and I went to take a look at the new patterns. The first six are kind of "ugh?" fro my taste, but then came the goodies!

Who does not want a Spring Fling? I do! And there it goes in the "must-do" list.

Nona'sTie One On is definitely to tie for - I do not like Mohair (all that hair make me sneeze), but who says I can't substitute? Only problem, which one I want to make first?

Susan's Branching Out? I have Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in my stash, already printed the pattern, I am casting tonight.

I need to make Wendy's Via Diagonale - such a beautiful purse with Elann Endless Summer Sonata? Who says that I can't be put together as I were still living in Italy and not spend a fortune in the process? And yes, I know that I have more purses than shoes, but there is no such a thing as too many purses (or shoes).

Choking at the park

It arrived:



with two more books, The Time Traveler's Wife for Knit One Read Too, and The Knitter' Handy Book of Patterns I threw in just to have free shipping.

So, lunch time, dropped the car for the smoke check, bought a sandwich and sat in the park reading. Now comes the choking part: laughing and eating together - not good. But I survived. The book is hilarious. Got to page 38.

This post could easily be entitled "Freezing in the park" though. Because no matter how nice the weather is in California - so nice I can't wear my Ribby Cardi:



the wind is ice cold. So the part of your body that faces the direction of the wind is always cold, while the other half is warm. As I said before, if you think that weather in California is nice, you have never lived in a Mediterranean country. I want Sahara wind, please.

I shall fix it

and then again and again. But never the less, the fix is in



I will have a wearable Ribby Cardi sooner or later. It all started with this:



Don' like the rolled collar, so it became this:



Think it's ok? Look closer ....



Pondering for a while if I should redo the whole collar shaping and how to do that without un-sewing the zipper when I stumbled into this - Wendy is one smart lady, simple solution: use the main color for the collar!

Let's frog the collar one more time, and pray for rain so that I can wear it tomorrow. Today? Look at the weather girl!